Novel disinfectant and dry cleaning compositions



United States Patent NOVEL DISINFECTANT AND DRY CLEANING COMPOSITIONS Horst-Gunter Bellinger, Dusseldorf, Germany, assignor to Bohme Fettchemie, G.m.b.H., Dusseldorf-Holthausen, Germany, a corporation of Germany No Drawing. Filed July 20, 1965, Ser. No. 473,505 Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 18, 1964,

14 Claims. (Cl. 252106) .ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Dry cleaning and disinfecting compositions containing a saturated aliphatic dialdehyde of 2 to carbon atoms as the disinfectant and method of using said compositions.

The invention relates to novel dry cleaning and disinfecting compositions and to a novel method of disinfecting textiles.

Recently, more attention than ever before is being given to the problem of thorough disinfection of woolen blankets, wearing apparel and various other textiles used in hospitals, community shelters and the like. An improvement in chemical disinfection is of great importance since known means have various defects. For example, fumigation of textiles with formaldehyde vapors is well known but this'requiresa step separate from the cleaning step and involves additional expense.

The simultaneous cleaning and disinfection of textiles has been found to be most advantageous and since a large number of textile materials cannot be washed in water, dry cleaning (with organic solvents) is the only practical means. Simultaneous dry cleaning and disinfection of textiles is known in which formaldehyde is added to the organic solvents as the disinfectant. How ever, the pungent odor of formaldehyde adheres to the textiles and a subsequent neutralization treatment in an ammonia bath is required to remove the odor. However, even with this subsequent treatment annoying odors cannot always be prevented from appearing later. Also, the subsequent treatment is disadvantageous because it requires additional time and a separate operation and subjects the textiles to greater wear and tear due to the mechanical stress.

It is an object of the invention to provide novel compositions for simultaneous dry cleaning and disinfecting of textiles.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel method for the simultaneous dry cleaning anddisinfect ing of textiles which does not require any additional steps than normal dry cleaning.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become obvious from the following detailed description.

The compositions of the invention for the simultaneous dry cleaning and disinfecting of textiles are comprised of 0.1 to 5.0 grams, preferably 0.5 to 3.0 grams, of a saturated aliphatic dialdehyde of 2 to 10 carbon atoms per liter of a liquid organic dry cleaning solvent. The said compositions preferably contain 5 to grams, preferably about 10 grams, of an anionic or non-ionic surface-active agent per liter of organic solvent to increase the cleansing power of the compositions.

The said compositions have the advantages of simultaneously cleaning and disinfecting textiles without trou- 3,357,922 Patented Dec. 12, 1967 "Ice blesome odors or other undesirable phenomena on subsequent treatments of the textiles such as the neutralization step required when formaldehyde is used in the organic solvent.

The saturated aliphatic dialdehydes used in the composition contain 2 to 10 carbon atoms, preferably 2 to 6 carbon atoms. Examples of suitable dialdehydes are glyoxal, malonic dialdehyde, succinic dialdehyde, glutaric dialdehyde, etc. Particularly preferred are glyoxal and glutaric dialdehyde';

If desired, the compositions may contain 0.1 to 0.3 gram, preferably about 0.2 gram, of formaldehyde per liter of the said compositions. These small amounts of formaldehyde do not cause any odors in the textiles treated with these compositions and less of the dialdehyde can be used.

Surface-active agents which are useful as cleaning assistants or boosters are well known. Examples of suitable agents are non-ionic surface-active agents such as alkylene oxide condensation products with high molecular weight fatty alcohols, amines, carboxylic acids and amides, alkylphenols, sugar esters and mixtures thereof and anionic surface-active agents such as soaps, fatty alcohol sulfates, alkane sulfonates, alkylaryl sulfonates, succinic acid ester sulfonates, fatty acid ester sulfonates, etc. When the surface-active agents are used, it is preferable to add small amounts of about 0.5 to 1.0 gram of water per liter of the said compositions. The compositions may also contain small amounts, i.e., 0.1 to 5.0 grams per liter of cationic agentssuch as high molecular weight amines and their salts such as thiouronium salts, alkylpyridinium bromides, etc.

Liquid organic solvents suitable for dry cleaning of textiles are well known and may be used alone or in mixtures. Examples of suitable solvents are chlorinated lower aliphatic hydrocarbons such as tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, carbon tetrachloride, trifiuoroethane, etc. and aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, benzol, light gasoline, heavy gasoline and their mixtures and saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons.

The textiles to be disinfected may be made of any synthetic or natural fiber such as rayon, Dacron, wool, linen, etc.

In the following examples there are described several preferred embodiments to illustrate the invention. However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments.

Example I The bacteria lyophilized in skim milk were added to a cleaning solution which had been tempered at a temperature of 20 to 25 C. for suspension tests according to the directions for the testing of chemical disinfectants of Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Hygiene und Mikrobiologie (German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology) Whereby bacterial counts 22 10 /ml. (M. --aureus) and 3.2Xl0 /ml. (Ps. aeruginosa) were obtained. After calculated periods, bouillon was inoculated with this cleaning solution. The cleaning solution was perchlorocondensation product of 6 moles of ethylene oxide with one mole of nonylphenol, 55% naphtha and 10% isopropanol. It was then determined Whether or not there was bacteria growth and the results are summarized in Table I.

TABLE I Germ counts of the inoculation suspensions:

M. aureus 119 l /m1. Bacteria E. coli 19O 1O /rn1. I Ps. aeruginosa 247 1O /ml.

(gleaming Giutaric M. aureus Ps. aerugznosa gig f g gh i Example Ill Minutes Minutes 1 cm. square pieces of Wool were sterilized in an auto- 5 10 5 10 15 clave and then were impregnated with denser bacteria suspension for 15 minutes and dried overnight at 37 C. 10 0 10 The said pieces were placed in muslin bags and then 10 0.25 cleaned in commercial dry cleaning equipment (Bowe 10 0 5 R8) for 15 minutes and then were centrifuged for 3 minutes and dried in the usual manner. After cleaning 15 and drying the bags were removed and the pieces of +Growth growth growthwool were inoculated 1n bOlllllOIl or placed on bouillon Example II agar and covered with a thin :layer of agar. After 8 days 1 cm square pieces of Wool were sterilized in an auto of incubation at 37 C., the number of sterile pieces of clave and were then infected by placing them in bouillon W001 Was detemme One,test adfhnonal cultures aged for 16 hours. After being dried overnight 20 dry bactena lyoahlhzed sklm 111k were added at 37 C the 1 pieces were placed i tempered dry directly to the cieanlng solution which was the same cleaning baths in wide-neck flasks with ground-in stopper as in Example I except for the dialdehyde- The results and thermometer. Magnetic stirrers were used to simulate are summarized in Table III.

TABLE III Bacteria Giutarlc Form- M. aureus E. coli P8. aeruatnosa Wool Addition diam} alde. impresof dry Program of hyde, hyde sion on germs to cleaning gn1./l gm./l Inocu- Inocu- Inocuculture cleaning iation Bouil- Bouillation Bouil- Bouillation Bou1i- Bouiimedium liquor suspenlon ion suspenion ion suspenlon ion sion, agar sion, agar sion, agar per ml. per ml. per ml.

0.5 78x10 10/10 10/9 58x10 10/10 10/10 202x10 10/10 10 10 Sterile M. aureus, 15 minutes in 2 4x10 rotating drum. Pe cempmosa 14x10, per ml.

0.38 0.2 22x10 10/10 10110 37x10 10/10 10/10 26x10 10/10 10/10 Sterile Smlnutes in rotating drum and 7 minutes in stationary drum.

0.2 22x10 10/0 10/0 37 1o 10/2 10/4 26x10 10/0 10/1 sminutesin rotating drum and 7 minutes in stationary drum.

Number before/indicates number of test pieces of wool and number alter/indicates the number 0! said pieces found to be sterile.

commercial dry cleaning conditions. After the woolen pieces had been in the bath for a specified time, they were removed, rinsed in petroleum ether for a short time, dried in air and placed in bouillon or on bouillon agar and covered with a thin layer of agar. The cleaning solution was the same as in Example I except the dialdehyde was glyoxai. The results are summarized in Table II.

Various modifications of the compositions and method of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof and it is to be understood that the invention is to be limited only as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Compositions for simultaneous dry cleaning and disinfecting of textiles consisting essentially of 0.1 to 5.0

TABLE II Bacteria M. aurcua E. coli Pa. aeruginosa Gloyxal,

gn1./l.

Minutes Minutes Minutes 5 1O 15 5 l 10 l 15 5 10 15 C0ntrol.

+ =gr0wth; =no growth.

grams of a saturated dialdehyde of 2 to 10 carbon atoms per liter of a liquid organic dry cleaning solvent, selected from the group consisting of lower aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons.

2. The compositions of claim 1 which contain 0.5 to 3.0 grams of the said dialdehyde.

3. The compositions of claim 1 wherein the dialdehyde is glutaric dialdehyde.

4. The composition of claim 1 wherein the dialdehyde is glyoxal.

5. The compositions of claim 1 which contain 0.1 to 0.3 grams of formaldehyde per liter of said solvent.

6. Compositions for simultaneous dry cleaning and disinfecting of textiles consisting essentially of 0.1 to 5.0 grams of a saturated dialdehyde of 2 to 10 carbon atoms and 5 to 15 grams of at least one surface-active agent selected from the group consisting of anionic surface-active agents and non-ionic surface-active agents per liter of a liquid organic dry cleaning solvent selected from the group consisting of lower aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of lower aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons.

7. The compositions claim 6 which contain 0.5 to 1.0 grams of water per liter of said solvent.

8. The compositions of c aim 6 wherein the dialdehyde is glutaric dialdehyde.

9. The compositions of claim 6 wherein the dialdehyde is glyoxal.

10. The compositions of claim 6 which contain 0.1 to 0.3 gram of formaldehyde per liter of said solvent.

11. A method of simultaneously dry cleaning and disinfecting textiles which comprises contacting the textiles with a composition consisting essentially of 0.1 to 5.0

6 grams of a saturated dialdehyde of 2 to 10 carbon atoms per liter of a liquid organic dry cleaning solvent selected from the group consisting of lower aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons, removing the textile from the said composition and drying the textile.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the dialdehyde is glutaric dialdehyde.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the dialdehyde is glyoxal.

14. A method of simultaneously dry cleaning and disinfecting textiles Which comprises contacting the textiles with a composition consisting essentially of 0.1 to 5.0 grams of a saturated dialdehyde of 2 to 10 carbon atoms and 5 to 15 grams of at least one surface-active agent selected from the group consisting of anionic surfaceactive agents and non-ionic surface-active agents per liter of a liquid organic dry cleaning solvent selected from the group consisting of lower aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons removing the textile from the said composition and drying the textile.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,348,795 5/1944 Endres 252--106 2,801,216 7/1957 Yoder et al. 252-106 3,042,479 7/1962 Lawrence et al. 252 3,057,676 10/1962 Wedell 252-89 3,057,775 10/1962 Rendon 252-106 3,090,665 5/1963 Parsons et al. 2528.6

LEON D. ROSDOL, Primary Examiner.

W. E. SCHULZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. COMPOSITIONS FOR SIMULTNEOUS DRY CLEANING AND DISINFECTING OF TEXTILES CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF 0.1 TO 5.0 GRAMS OF A SATURATED DIALDEHYDE OF 2 TO 10 CARBON ATOMS PER LITER OF A LIQUID ORGANIC DRY CLEANING SOLVENT, SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LOWER ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS, AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS AND SATURATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS. 